


Softness, Stitches, and Stories

by paintapiconsilence



Series: AxGWeek2019 [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, The Long Night, axgweek, axgweek2019, day 4 prompt: Just Get Naked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 18:09:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20247109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintapiconsilence/pseuds/paintapiconsilence
Summary: Set after 8.03Arya and Gendry take care of each other after the The Long Night, and Sansa and Jon learn about their relationship.Written for AxGWeek2019 Day 4 Prompt: Just Get Naked





	Softness, Stitches, and Stories

**Author's Note:**

> References to events of The Long Night, but nothing graphic. 
> 
> All mistakes are my own.

The Long Night was over, and Arya was pulling him towards her chambers. When they arrived, there was a tub filled with steaming water in the middle of the room, with supplies and a change of clean clothes for both of them on the table next to it. Arya closed and locked the door before starting to get undressed. When she noticed Gendry’s wide eyes and stiff body, she said to him, “We need to bathe.”

Gendry stammered out, “Arya… we… I- I can’t be in here while you… if anyone finds me in here… it’s not proper.”

Arya, having no more patience for his issues with their differing classes, especially after what they’d done the night before, replied, “Gendry, we can’t check each other for wounds if we can’t see them through all the dirt and grime, so just get naked and get into the damn tub.”

Gendry did as he was told and undressed before sinking into the hot water. Arya grabbed some soap and washcloths before carefully getting into the tub across from him.

“Keep your eyes closed,” she said as she started gently washing his hair, face, and neck. She had him rinse off before she moved down his body, noticing the tension in his shoulders and the bruises littering his chest and back. He managed to only have several superficial cuts on his arms and sides, but as she worked down his legs, she saw a longer and deeper slice on the outside of one, halfway up his thigh. She delicately cleaned the wound, and then finished cleaning the rest of his body; there were more superficial cuts, but that was the only one of concern.

When she was done, Gendry picked up another washcloth and repeated her actions, cleaning her up, tenderly washing around the wound on her head and the bruises on her neck. She miraculously didn’t have any other cuts on her, but it seemed as if her entire body was one big bruise. She lay on his chest as he washed her back, and once she rinsed herself off, she curled herself around him again.

Arya let herself settle against him for a few minutes, but refused to let sleep take her just yet. She spoke softly to him, “We need to sew up the wound on your thigh.” And they got out of the water and wrapped each other in the towels.

Arya sat Gendry down in a chair by the table and pulled on her change of clothes before grabbing a needle and thread. She warned Gendry that what she was about to do might hurt, but he powered through her stitching with only minor protestations. She helped him into his own set of clean clothes and then had him take a look at the wound on her head.

“I’m not sure if this needs stitches or not. It’s not a large wound, and the bleeding’s stopped, but you had so much blood on your face before.”

Arya nodded. “Let’s go to the great hall, then. It’s where the rest of the wounded are being treated.”

They slowly followed the hallways and stairs down to the great hall, holding onto each other since Gendry’s leg was sore and Arya was still a bit light-headed. When Arya spotted Sansa, she motioned to her to come over and pulled Gendry by the hand to sit at an empty table. Gendry’s hand twitched in hers when Sansa walked over, but Arya intertwined their fingers and squeezed tightly for a moment. Sansa glanced at their hands before looking expectantly at her.

“Can you check the wound on my head? Gendry’s not sure if it needs stitches,” she said, ignoring Sansa’s implied question.

Sansa looked at her more pointedly for a second before leaning down to examine her forehead, “Maybe two or three stitches at the most, it’s not too deep.” She sat on Arya’s right side and began preparing her needle and thread. “You cleaned the wound?” She looked meaningfully at Arya again, who just nodded. Sansa worked carefully but quickly, as she saw Arya’s hand tighten around Gendry’s once more.

“All done.”

“Thank you, Sansa.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired… a little light-headed.” Arya sighed.

Sansa hummed. “And you, Gendry was it?”

Gendry looked shocked at being addressed directly, but nodded and then cleared his throat. “Also tired, but just sore, nothing more.”

Sansa nodded back. “No wounds that need to be looked at?”

Arya jumped in before Gendry could answer, “I stitched up a slice on his thigh earlier. Every other cut was too shallow for stitches.”

“Mhm.” She gave Arya another pointed look, but Arya rolled her eyes and whispered, “Oh, don’t give me that look, Sansa. I’ve known him much longer than Jon has.”

“Have you now? Care to share how you two met then? You still haven’t told me your story.”

“Can it wait? I’d like to sleep a bit first.”

“Arya-”

Gendry cut in between the two sisters’ whispered bickering, “I’ll tell her, you sleep,” and brushed off her protests while helping her to get into a comfortable position leaning against him.

Arya hears him talking about being sold to the Night’s Watch and defending what he thought was a little boy from two bigger boys trying to steal Needle from her as she dozes off.

\-----------

Jon walked into the great hall to see Arya sleeping against Gendry and holding his hand, the latter talking with Sansa and Sam. He ambled over and heard Sam say, “She should be woken up every hour to check if she’s still dizzy for the next few days. If you can, get her to drink some water and see if she can keep food down.”

Gendry spoke next, “Should we wake her now then? I’m not sure how long it’s been since she fell asleep.”

“Only half an hour, I think. Leave her for a bit longer,” Sansa replied.

“Maybe you should be the one staying with her, I’m not good at keeping track of time.”

“I think if she wakes up and you’re not there, she’ll kill us both,” Sansa laughed.

Gendry laughed with her and said, “You’re probably right.” He looked down at Arya, smiled softly, and leaned his chin against the top of her head.

Jon moved closer and cleared his throat to get their attention. They all looked over to him, and Sansa spoke up, “Hey, Jon. Sam was just telling us how to take care of Arya. She hit her head during the battle.”

Jon looked at Arya and Gendry’s hands once more before deciding to address her other injuries first, “And her neck?”

Gendry spoke up this time, “The Night King grabbed her by the throat before she killed him.”

Sam said, “Can’t really do anything for the bruises except wait for them to heal, I’m afraid.”

Jon nodded, and then he looked pointedly at Arya and Gendry’s hands again, speaking to Gendry, “And that?” Gendry blushed, Sansa huffed out a laugh, and Sam looked around uncomfortably before saying, “I’m just going to go see if anyone else needs help,” and walked away.

“You didn’t tell me that you knew each other. You mentioned your father immediately, but didn’t think to mention you and my sister were close?”

Gendry looked down and murmured, “I thought she was dead.”

“Go on.”

Sansa said quietly, “It’s a bit of a long story, Jon.” He raised his eyebrows.

Gendry gave her a grateful half-smile before speaking, “It is, we’ve known each other for years. But the most important part is that when I was with the Brotherhood, when I was sold to the Red Woman, Arya was there – the only one who tried to stop her from taking me – and I never thought I would see her again. Beric and Thoros were gonna ransom her to your family, her mother and your brother. And then Davos helped me escape, and I had hope that even if I never saw her again, she’d be safe. But then I heard about the Red Wedding, and I thought she’d died with them.”

He let out a heavy breath and explained further, “I just figured it would be easier mentioning our fathers who were best friends instead of your sister who I couldn’t protect. I had no idea she was alive until she walked into the smithy here and asked me to make a weapon for her.”

Jon nodded, accepting his explanation, but said, “You still should’ve told me. I could’ve told you she was alive and home in Winterfell.”

Gendry blinked. “What?”

“I received a raven from Sansa when we were at Dragonstone, letting me know that Arya and Bran were home. If you told me you knew her, I could’ve told you she was safe.”

Gendry blinked a few more times, before he cleared his throat and joked, “Probably better that I didn’t know then, or else I would’ve come straight here like Davos wanted, and I wouldn’t’ve been able to help you beyond the wall.”

Jon looked back and forth between him and Arya a few times. “And were you two… when you were with the Brotherhood, did you…?”

Gendry’s wide-eyed, but Arya, having just woken up, groaned out, “Gods, no, Jon. We were children,” she opened her eyes and looked pointedly at Jon and Sansa before continuing, “I liked and trusted him, but nothing _untoward_ happened. And anything that happens now is neither of your concern.”

Sansa failed to stifle a smile. “So there is something going on now, then?”

Arya glared daggers at her. “None. Of. Your. Concern.”

Jon had a confused look in his eyes. ‘_They were only holding hands, that doesn’t mean_…’ “Wait, _has_ something happened between you two?”

Arya’s dagger eyes turned on him, but softened to pity. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, Jon.”

He looked _mortified_, and Arya was struggling to hold in a laugh. Gendry was blushing and refusing to look at any of them, internally panicking. And Sansa’s smile widened comically, the tips of her mouth nearly reaching her ears.

Jon opened and closed his mouth, but no sounds came out. Arya took pity on him again and said, “It doesn’t matter, Jon. I’m no lady, and Gendry’s no lord. Let’s instead focus on how we’re all alive and home.”

He gave a stiff nod, and took a seat at the table with them. They talked about other things – how Arya killed the Night King, how Jon rode Rhaegal, the dragons and their injuries, Gendry up on the battlements, Sansa defending people in the crypts, the upcoming war. Someone brought by soup and bread for them, and after waiting to make sure Arya was able to keep the food down, she dozed off again on Gendry’s shoulder, listening to them chatting amiably.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Sansa and Gendry are a bit OOC, but I really just wanted some happy, fluffy family time.


End file.
